Corrupt cops

Last Friday afternoon the ever commuting Voice cartoonist, Lesole Ntshole, eavesdropped on another topic to write about when a driver, conductor and some passengers in a Molepolole bound bus broke into a conversation about corrupt police officers who will stop at nothing to line their pockets with traffic fines.

DRIVER: I still fail to understand that cop’s motive.

We passed him for the fourth time by the roadblock today, but every time he keeps on stopping me to demand my drivers’ license.

CONDUCTOR: It’s not really about the drivers’ license.

He knows we made a lot of cash today, and he’s trying every trick in the book to find an offence for you.

DRIVER: All along, he had been in the tent, and he let other vehicles pass.

The moment he saw us approach, he came rushing to the road. I nearly ran over him.

CONDUCTOR: Police officers seem to forget we’re human like them.

They want us to fear them. If you’re always unkind to other humans, you end up cursed. Ask Inspector Morris.

MAN IN BLACK CAP: Morris is back on duty again after a suspension from the police service.

Some few weeks back, I saw him charge taxi drivers for blowing horns at a stop by Choppies.

MAN IN BLUE SHIRT: I didn’t know he was back on duty. The last time I saw him was on television.

He had gone to Prophet Bushiri to ask for prayers.

DRIVER: It’s funny that he’s able to go to Prophet Bushiri to pray for him to ask for forgiveness from God, yet he never forgives drivers when he’s manning a roadblock. (laughter).

MAN IN BLACK CAP: The previous day he charged the taxi drivers for blowing horns at a stop by Choppies.

I saw him hiding at a car-wash by the road. He’d stop and charge every driver that passed by.

It surprises me that most of the time he mounts a roadblock, he’d do so with his own private vehicle.

The conversation ends as some passengers alight at the first stop in the village.